----Source:
History of Clark County, Wisconsin
(1918), by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

HERMAN BRAATZ, one
of the most progressive young farmers of Clark County, who by hard
work and perseverance has developed from the forest a fine and
productive farm, was born on the homestead of his parents, Richard
and Amelia (Scholz) Braatz, in Grant Township, Mar. 2, 1881.
Herman's schooling was somewhat irregular, as he had to help his
father in clearing the latter's farm, but during the winter time he
usually worked in the lumber woods, being thus occupied for a
number of years.

He was United in
marriage, June 26, 1907, to Nellie Ruege, a native of Grant
Township and daughter of William Ruege. He had already begun to
improve a tract of eighty acres in section 27, Grant Township, on
which he built an eight-room brick veneer house, in which he and
his wife took up their residence. Later he built a good barn, 36 by
68 feet, with basement, cement floors and patent stanchions; also a
silo, 36 by 12 feet, and a tool shed with cement floor, 24 by 56
feet in size, with a hog building and other necessary structures.
There was a grove of maple trees on his farm, which he has saved
for the production of maple sugar. He also has an orchard of
Dutchess apples and other fine varieties of fruit. He raises Durham
cattle and graded Percheron horses successfully, finding a ready
market for his stock, while his tilled land is fruitful and grows
bountiful crops.

Mr. Braatz is a
member of the Farmers' Co-operative Elevator and Lumber Company, of
Neillsville, a stockholder in the Wausau Packing Plant and a patron
of the cheese factory. He held the office of supervisor for 1910,
and since 1911 has been manager of Lynn Telephone Co. A German
Lutheran in religious faith, he is serving as trustee of his
church.

He and his wife
are the parents of four children: Esther, Erwin, Victor and
Donald.